ABOUT THE DISTRICT

Dear friends,

We celebrate July 4th because some of our forefathers did not like the way their tax dollars were used. As we approach this holiday I need you to express your thoughts and opinions on some policy debates that will have long-term consequences for our infrastructure.

The Hennepin County Board, representing 22% of Minnesota's population, will will take public testimony on Tuesday, July 9th at or near 1:30 about a proposed $10 wheelage tax on vehicles in Hennepin County. This wheelage tax would raise $9 million, jump-start needed road and bridge projects, and provide property tax relief. If you have an opinion about this, please join us on Tuesday, July 9th or email me at commissioner.mclaughlin@co.hennepin.mn.us.

Speaking of celebrating a value espoused by our forefathers, equality in this case, Hennepin County is now processing marriage applications for same-sex couples who want to marry on or after August 1st. I am proud to help implement this crucial step towards equality for everyone.

How to get married on Aug 1st

Hennepin County service centers began accepting marriage license applications from same-sex couples on
June 6, pursuant to state law and Hennepin County Board resolution.

For those same-sex couples interested in getting married on Aug. 1, the
county recommends completing an application by July 27, because of the
mandatory five-day waiting period between the time people apply for a
marriage license and the date the license is valid. Marriage licenses
are valid for six months from the issuing date, e.g. Aug. 1 to Jan. 31,
2014.

Same-sex couples may begin the application process online or show up to
any of the county’s service centers and fill out an application form.
Couples who schedule an appointment in advance will also be served as quickly as possible upon arriving at their designated service center.

For those same-sex couples who already married in another state, the law
does not allow someone to enter into a new marriage or “remarry” in
Minnesota, but the state will recognize same sex marriages that occurred
in other states starting Aug. 1.

Minnehaha Ave Redesign Ideas

Open Houses - July 11th and July 17th

Meetings will be
held at the Minnehaha Communion Lutheran Church., 4101 37th Avenue
South, from 5 -7 p.m. on Thursday, July 11, and Wednesday, July 17.

Hennepin County is coordinating with the City of Minneapolis to rebuild Minnehaha Avenue from Lake St. south to 46th St. There are two design concepts currently considered for this project and the county would like input from the public on the two options. Both design options narrow the driving and parking lanes to slow down traffic to create a safe street while maintaining it as a thoroughfare.

One design option would install a buffered bike lane and will eliminate approximately 50 trees and 50 parking spots. The other option would create a cycle track bike lane separated from the road and would eliminate approximately 100 trees and 100 parking spots.

There will be two public meetings in July, followed by additional meetings in September. County staff will respond to public comments and make changes to the layouts as appropriate before presenting them to the Minneapolis City Council for approval.

Construction of the project is expected to begin in 2015 and extend through two construction seasons, finishing up in 2016. For more information, visit www.hennepin.us/minnehaha.

Wheelage Tax

Proposal to Jump Start Hennepin County
Transportation System

Minnesota
state statute now allows for counties to implement a wheelage tax of up to ten
dollars per vehicle. To date, Hennepin County has not implemented the wheelage
tax to fund road and bridge projects.

A
wheelage tax of $10 per vehicle in Hennepin County could raise approximately $9
million a year for the county road systems. The wheelage tax serves as a
fee-based way to improve and repair county roads and bridges without raising
property taxes.

“This
money could jump start our road system and help get it back into high-quality
shape, improve safety, save energy, and provide better movement on county
roads,” said Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin. “This could also be
used to reduce property taxes currently going into the road system.”

Property
taxes would be reduced as capital improvements, maintenance and operational
needs are aggressively fixed.This
proposal would preserve our system by integrating high benefit / low
cost safety improvements. It would also yield better pavement within 5
years, instead of the current 10 year time frame.LED bulbs would be installed in intersections
to reduce electric costs and extend the life of the bulbs.Signalized intersections on the county
network would be synchronized:every $1 Hennepin
County spends on this will benefit the County $28 in fuel consumption, delay
time, and air quality.

The
county has more than 2,200 lane miles of paved roads. It costs $8.6 million per
year to repair 140 road lane miles. The county also maintains 450 signals in
suburban communities and 329 signals in Minneapolis as well as five flashing
signals. There are 147 county bridges and 72 of those are more than 35 years
old. Bridge replacement averages about $3 million and $300 thousand for
maintenance.

Public
testimony will be taken on Tuesday, July 9th at or near 1:30
PM in the Public Works, Energy & Environment Committee
chaired by Commissioner McLaughlin.